The Wyoming Dept. of Transportation?s (WYDOT) Aeronautics Division based in Cheyenne is also home to a customized tensile fabric airplane hangar structure able to sustain the rigors of this rugged western state?s weather conditions.

With a climate as intense as the landscape itself - high winds and impressive snowfalls are the standard here - WYDOT officials turned to Universal Fabric Structures in Quakertown , Pennsylvania to resolve the transitional housing problem that their aeronautics division faced.

Like a popup children?s book, the delight comes from knowing what?s inside the package. WYDOT officials were surprised and delighted when they unpacked their Universal Fabric Structures temporary aircraft hangar to be used to house two state jets at the ready to fly state officials to meetings and appointments. ?We needed a dependable structure that could house our aircraft during the extreme conditions we experience in Wyoming while a new hangar is being built. It?s almost as if Universal created this system to meet our mission,? said WYDOT Division Administrator Shelly Reams.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The structure, one of Universal?s Bare Base Dome models of rapidly deployable structures, measures 70?wide x 89? long, and is 25? high. When its ?Big Mouth? door is closed, the structure adds another 30 feet to its length. Designed initially for U.S. Air Force missions throughout the world, the structure neatly compresses into three slim 8-foot by 8-foot travel containers able to be stored and transported quickly in standard military cabinets. It can be erected and put in use in less than 32 hours by eight untrained workers using no special tools or equipment. It also features heavy-duty 24-oz. Seaman Shelter-Rite? tensioned fabric to withstand extreme weather conditions.

High winds and heavy snowfall were not the only factors contributing to the selection of a Universal for a temporary structure to store the airplanes, which had been damaged last year at the airport. The Universal structure also met other mission needs, according to Reams.

??The Big Mouth door and rear cargo door make aircraft operations accessible and efficient.? The ability to install a radiant heating system, security system, and lighting enabled us all of the necessities of useable aircraft storage. The mobility of the structure and the ability to easily adjust its size and location were also deciding factors.?

According to Reams, the Universal Fabric Structures facility was an attractive, short-term solution until a proposed $4 million new building can be constructed. ?For our flight operation, use of an existing building was not an option. Without a temporary structure, we would have had to move our operation to an airport in a distant location,? Reams aid.

Once the new building is completed, Reams indicated that WYDOT officials will decide how to adapt the fabric structure to another application or a different state agency.

About Universal Fabric Structures?

Universal Fabric Structures, Inc. is committed to providing on a global basis high quality, cost effective, engineered fabric structure systems based on customer-driven needs. Established in 1983, the company has delivered on this commitment providing solutions for military, sport, industrial, and event applications. Projects include rapid-deploy, relocatable military structures, Sporthall facilities for tennis, soccer, swimming, multi-sport and professional football teams, All-Site industrial applications for warehousing and containment, and Pavilion structures for events and gaming.